Police investigate 2 homicides in central Las Vegas
Las Vegas police detectives are investigating two fatal shootings that happened early Monday in the central valley.
Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said the first slaying occurred on the 500 block of East Sahara Avenue east of Joe W. Brown Drive.
A second fatal shooting was reported about 30 minutes later on the 300 block of South Valley View Boulevard near Meadows Mall.
Ahead of the first homicide, Spencer said an officer was driving on East Sahara near Maryland Parkway at 2:15 a.m. when he heard gunshots. The police department’s ShotSpotter gunshot notification system also alerted officers to gunfire in the area.
“That officer was able to make a U-turn and immediately responded,” Spencer said, adding that a man in his 40s was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at the intersection of Sahara and Van Patten Street.
The man was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
“At this point we have no witnesses to the shooting,” Spencer said.
In the second homicide, Spencer said a clerk working at a gas station at the intersection of Valley View and Alta Drive heard gunshots outside the store at 3:15 a.m.
“That clerk looked outside and found a deceased male,” Spencer said.
The person shot was believed to be in his 20s. His body was found next to a vehicle at the gas pumps, Spencer said.
Police said in a statement Monday afternoon that they believe the man had gone into the store while he was filling his gas tank and was shot by another man as he walked back out to his car.
There were no witnesses to the second shooting, Spencer said.
Anyone with information about either shooting may contact Metro’s homicide unit at 702-828-3521 or, to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.
